Sample bottles

We design, manufacture and service a wide range of pressure rated bottles for transport and storage of formation water and hydrocarbon fluids and gases. We offer a scope of bottles with pressure ratings ranging from 100 bar to 1800 bar and volumes from 300cc up to 20 litres.

IKM Production Technology is recognised as a quality provider for servicing and preventive maintenance of 3rd party bottle management, where our scope of work includes web-based tracking of bottle status and location.

IKM Production Technology has been manufacturing high pressure sample bottles for more than 20 years. From our trademark membrane type bottles to the traditional piston type bottle we cover the full range of pressurised sample containment.

PVT Sample bottlesIn general terms PVT samples are taken either from a surface system downstream of the choke or upstream of the choke at the wellhead or downhole.

Different types of bottle are required for these two scenarios. Surface sampling would typically involve the collection of several PVT sets with each set consisting of two 20 litre gas samples and one 600 cc oil sample. IKM Production Technology provide lightweight bottles for this type of operation offering a distinct advantage when transporting/handling multiple PVT sets both on-site offshore or in the PVT laboratory onshore. These lightweight bottles cover the pressure and temperature ratings of most surface separation systems. They are also ideally suited to fiscal allocation sampling.

For PVT samples taken at higher pressures – wellhead or downhole, we offer our standard 1000 bar / 200 °C 600cc bottle that can be delivered either as a conventional type or pressure compensated type for single phase samples. A 4 litre 690 bar rated bottle is also available.

Long Term Storage bottlesIn some instances, where samples are stored for later use as reference samples – for example to test against future compatibility with new well streams - samples can be stored for several years. Ideally there should be no contact between the hydrocarbon sample and any organic sealant material (o-rings, seals etc). IKM Production Technology has developed the Xmerc series of bottles that use a metal membrane instead of a piston to displace the sample. All seals in this bottle are metal-metal

Inert Sample bottlesWe manufacture and service bottles that provide an inert contact with the samples that they contain. This is particularly critical where well stream fluids are sampled for the measurement of trace element components that can interfere with refinery processes. For example sulphur and mercury species.

Large Volume BottlesLarge volumes (> 10 litres) of pressurized sample are often collected during well test operations. These samples are in addition to the routine PVT sample sets and will be taken for various types of fluid studies such as flow assurance measurements, performance chemical evaluation, core flood studies and well stream compatibility analyses. Often it is more practical to collect these samples in one large bottle rather than several smaller PVT sized bottles. IKM Production Technology have developed a unique 20 litre displacement (both piston and membrane) type bottle ideal for large volume fluid sampling.

Sample bottle maintenanceOur bottle maintenance workshop is fully equipped for handling both our own, and 3rd party fluid sample bottles and downhole samplers. From chemical cleaning to redressing, leak testing and pressure testing, the workshop is equipped to 15K psi standards. The inventory management system ensures that all bottles have a historical maintenance traceability and a certified status.